Sacrifice
by DatNookieThang
Summary: Takes place in episode 111 ("Die But Once"). Lucious is ready to sacrifice his queen in order to win the game, but Malcolm doesn't play games when it comes to Cookie. Second chapter has been reposted b/c it ties into the 2nd chapter of "Covet". Titles to both chapters come from "You Keep Me Hanging On" by the Supremes. Peep the author's notes at the end for some closing thoughts.
1. You Keep Me Hanging On

Note: NESSEC stands for _Naval Electronic Systems Security Engineering Center._

* * *

Malcolm couldn't stop looking at the selfie Cookie just texted him. She must have snapped it shortly after he left her apartment that morning. Hair tousled, skin glowing, eyes letting him know that Malcolm had fully satisfied her before he left. Cookie was in all her post-coital glory. Even clothed, she was the sexiest woman he'd ever seen. It seemed that she finally knew that now.

 _"Who's the most beautiful woman in the world?"_ Malcolm asked Cookie after making love one night in the Berkshires. He had finally coaxed her into wearing nothing but her skin, unobscured by bedsheets or bathrobes or blankets made of fur.

Cookie's voice was low, but she looked him straight in the eye. _"I am."_ And she was.

They'd returned from their vacation the night before, where Cookie insisted that he sleep at her apartment – for his safety, of course, since it was dark out there. They had barely made it past the door before Malcolm had Cookie up against the wall, down on his knees while she straddled his face and grabbed for something to hold her upright.

Malcolm didn't know how they were going to keep this relationship under wraps, or even if they were going to bother. He was happy with Cookie, and he had no intentions of keeping her under wraps. Cookie seemed just fine with that, too. Wasn't he about to meet her sister later that day? That let Malcolm know that he wasn't going to be some romp in the mountains. They'd also talked about their plans for Thanksgiving, which was four months from now. There was going to come a time when Lucious was going to know and understand that Cookie was Malcolm's lady now, job be damned.

There was a knock on his cubicle wall. "Malcolm?"

"Hey, Porsha." Malcolm could've had an office like all of the other heads of departments, but he liked being on the ground floor with his men. "What's up?"

Porsha wasn't her usual loud, jokey self. "Lucious wants to see you."

"Right now?" Usually, Malcolm didn't debrief with Lucious until after 8:00 p.m. or so.

"Yeah." Porsha took a deep breath. "Malcolm…Lucious knows about you and Cookie up in the Berkshires. I'm sorry, Malcolm," she rushed ahead when Malcolm didn't say anything. "It just slipped out. I wasn't tryna tell y'all's business. Lucious was tryna find-"

"It's okay, Porsha. Thanks for the heads up." After all, Porsha wouldn't have known if Cookie hadn't told her. Besides, Porsha had proven herself to be a true friend to Cookie when Anika tried to lure her away. That was all that mattered to Malcolm. "I'm not sure how Cookie's going to feel, but me and Lucious were going to exchange words anyway. Might as well be now. _I serve with honor on and off the battlefield,"_ he added, quoting a line from the Navy SEAL code _._

"You really like her, huh? I mean, for _real_ for real?" Porsha's voice was more than a bit anxious, but sincere. "You're not just tryna dip your hands in the Cookie jar, right?"

Malcolm's intentions were none of Porsha's business, but Malcolm knew why she was asking. Porsha wasn't being nosy or digging for gossip. She was looking out for her boss, like a loyal soldier. "That's my baby, Porsha," Malcolm confessed to her. "For _real_ for real."

"That's good." Porsha gave Malcolm a faint smile, then it faded again. "Maybe it won't be so bad, Malcolm. You're the head of security here. It could be anything."

Porsha said it and Malcolm heard it, but neither of them believed it. Malcolm just nodded as he left Cookie's office and walked to the elevator. _Dead nigga walking,_ Malcolm thought as he pressed the ground floor button. _That's me out here right now._

* * *

The man whose face was on every ugly gold logo in the building opened the door to Malcolm's knock. "Good to have you back. How was your long vacation?" he asked, gesturing for Malcolm to come in.

"Very enjoyable, sir," Malcolm replied placidly. He was pushing it, but he went on anyway. "It was just what I needed."

Lucious's jaw began to twitch, a sure sign of his simmering anger. Malcolm saw that look the night Cookie told Malcolm to call her to talk about beefing up the security in her place, right in front of their entire family. Malcolm couldn't help but notice how lovely Cookie looked with Lola in her arms that night. But then Cookie just _had_ to slide her eyes up and down Malcolm's body so blatantly that she might as well have popped her legs open and put up a neon sign for Malcolm to follow.

The silly part was that it was everybody in the room _except_ Lucious that Cookie was just acting this way to antagonize the hell out of him. Either the man couldn't take the hint or couldn't take a joke, or perhaps Malcolm looked at Cookie a little too long, because Lucious matched Cookie's look with one of his own, just as pointed: _if you even breathe in her direction, you'll be on the breadlines by midnight._ That's when Malcolm stopped thinking about how banging Cookie looked in that dress, or how good her perfume smelled while they were watching Elle rehearse earlier that day. "Sir," Malcolm said, turning to his boss, "I'll get those numbers and get back to you." He turned to leave.

"You should call me so we can set that up," Cookie called out. Hakeem had to turn his back to his father. Jamal was holding his breath with his eyes closed. Andre pretended to have a coughing fit, while Rhonda put her head in her hands to keep tears from streaming down her face. Even the maids looked like they were trying not to laugh.

"You realize…" Malcolm heard Lucious say, and his voice was cold as his eyes had been. Malcolm didn't hear the rest.

Now those cold eyes were fixed dead on Malcolm, all-knowing. "I've been thinking about your future here at Empire and all the work you've put into the security here."

 _I'll bet._

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the job you're doing here. But if you think about it, Malcolm, you're just a security guard. I mean, I respect your whole boots-on-the-ground, 'in-the-trenches' kind of thinking, but anybody could do the job you do. I'm sorry, but I think you're wasting your talent and your skills here."

In just a few weeks, Malcolm and his squad had prevented two home break-ins, six financial hacks and a massive company takeover. The only casualties had been a stalled elevator, a temporary loss of a few thousand dollars and a drunken ex-wife. Still, Malcolm let it slide.

"Have you ever thought about starting your own security business? Working for yourself?"

"Sir?" Of course Malcolm had thought about starting his own company. To him, the world was one big-ass security breach. Malcolm had a hundred ideas on how to make the world safer. _Thousands_ of ideas. He had a degree in engineering and spent five years at NESSEC before his 12 years as a SEAL. But even with his five-star resume, no one would give Malcolm a business loan.

"Well, why don't you?"

 _Because I don't have a wife willing to sell drugs so I can install security systems,_ Malcolm thought bitterly. "I've tried to, in the past. Got a portfolio together and everything. But I can't get a business loan." After a while, the rejection letters and the good-luck-to-you handshakes got to be too much.

"What, you got bad credit? That never stopped Donald Trump."

"Actually, I don't have a credit history at all."

"Really?" Lucious's brows kneaded together. "How'd you pull that off?"

"Well, my parents always told me that credit was the devil. _'Always pay cash.'_ I heard that from the time I started mowing lawns for spending money. ' _If you don't have the cash to pay for it, you can't afford it.'_ So I did everything like that. School, cars…" Malcolm felt a little self-conscious describing his childhood. His early life compared to Lucious's was a day in the park. Luscious had made something out of himself having come from nothing. Malcolm – the son and grandson of sailors – could barely pay his rent. "So now I can't demonstrate his ability to pay back debt because I don't have any debt-"

"-and they don't want to give a young brother a chance because you've been financially responsible all your life," Lucious finished. "That's crazy. You'd think they'd be throwing money at you. Well, fuck 'em. How about you start your security business here at Empire?"

Malcolm was thunderstruck. "Sir?"

"We sell shoes, champagne…why not security? Look, Malcolm. Real talk." Lucious gestured for Malcolm to sit in the chair opposite him on the same side his office desk. Anyone looking into the office would think that the two were equals, instead of employer and employee. "You know how many security companies I've been through over the years? Nobody could have stopped that breach like you did, Malcolm. I will always be grateful to you for that." There was no ice in Lucious's voice now, and nothing but respect was in Lucious's voice. "Your security should be looking over your own shit, not just mine. And if these racist-ass bankers aren't smart enough to give one to a man who has done so much for this country, I will. Because I already know you'll succeed."

"That…that sounds like a great opportunity, sir." Malcolm could barely think straight. What had been nothing but a dream of his was starting to become a reality. Working for himself. Hiring his own personnel. Expanding into other buildings. Other companies. Maybe even getting the opportunity to give young black men a hand up the way Lucious was doing for him.

"Take the afternoon off, Malcolm. Go home and get your portfolio together. Tomorrow, we'll sit down and go over it and come up with a business plan. We can talk loans or shares or maybe some other business arrangement. Sound good to you?"

"That sounds great!" Every ugly thought he'd ever had of Lucious disintegrated. "And thank you, Mr. Lyon. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Lucious's smile was almost paternal, even though they were just four years apart. "Believe me, I'm happy to give a man like you the opportunity to get your logo on the side of a building one day without having to sling dope to do it." They stood and shook hands, and this time, Lucious reached out to embrace him. "Take care, Malcolm. See you tomorrow."

Malcolm's portfolio was still in his leather navy case, covered with dust and full of denial letters. He would definitely be up all night updating it and adding a few more features. This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for ever since he was scribbling blueprints on scraps of paper in Afghanistan. Oh, sure, he'd have to hire some of New York's best lawyers so he wouldn't wind up in indentured servitude to Lucious, and the idea of his gold-colored head on every system he install made Malcolm a little nauseous. But the chance to start his own business was worth having to look at Lucious's gold face for a few years.

 _I have to tell Cookie._ Cookie. Cookie! Lucious never even mentioned Cookie! Porsha was right after all. This wasn't personal. This was all about business. Lucious was too smart to lose his head over his ex-wife. Of course, Malcolm would keep things professional at work, but he was definitely going to put in for his own office now.

Before Malcolm went home, he was going to go buy some flowers for Porsha. Cookie, too. He would buy Cookie the most beautiful roses he could find…no, wait. He would slip into her apartment and sprinkle them on her bed…no, wait, he promised himself that he wouldn't abuse his security access like that. Besides, Cookie said once that she didn't like roses…

"Malcolm! Ayo, Malcolm!"

Agent Chris Spencer was coming up the hall. "S'up, Spence?" Malcolm asked. Spencer was a great guy. Ex-Army. One of the best men Malcolm knew. He would be Malcolm's right hand man, for sure.

"Welcome back, Mal." Chris was as white as mayonnaise on Wonder Bread, but he gave dap like a brother. "Say, I hate to throw business on you since you just got back from Mr. Lyon's office, but would it be okay with you if we gave Ms. Lyon 15 minutes to secure her belongings. Or do you want her to be escorted from the building right away?"

 _"What?"_ Malcolm's floral fantasies evaporated. Security? Malcolm _was_ security. Shit, he was head of security. He was about to have his own security business in this very building. "What are you talking about, Spencer? I haven't authorized anyone to be escorted from the building. Certainly not Cook - Ms. Lyon."

"You didn't?" Chris looked down on his clipboard. "Your signature is on this paperwork I'm supposed to send to her when she either secures her things or has them shipped to her."

"Let me see that." Sure enough, at the bottom of the paperwork that verified that Cookie Lyon's security badge had been deactivated and the electronic locks on her doors changed, there was Malcolm's signature. "Spence, who gave you these papers?"

"Mr. Lyon. He just fired her about a minute ago, but he didn't say anything about what to do with her stuff. I don't think she knew this was going to happen – hell, we just found out about 10 minutes ago. Anyway, do you want us to box it up or - Malcolm? Malcolm! Where are you going, bro?"

* * *

Malcolm remembered exactly when he stopped respecting Lucious Lyon. It was the night of the IPO concert. Anika, for whatever reason, had slipped something in the drink of Empire legend Elle Dallas to make her appear drunk or high, or both. Malcolm went back and reviewed the just-recorded footage to make sure that he wasn't making a false accusation before he reported it to Lucious. Lucious was furious at first, but when Malcolm told him that his fiancée was the one who did it, he suddenly blew the whole thing off. "Don't worry about it," he'd said. And that was all.

Since Elle didn't remember a thing, Anika forced Elle to start going to Narcotics Anonymous or risk having her contract voided. Not one day went by without her heralding her goodness or Lucious's generosity. Because Elle was Cookie's client, Anika required Cookie to go with her. To Cookie's credit, she went to every meeting with Elle without complaint, even when Anika regularly made it clear that the whole thing was Cookie's fault.

Cookie seemed even more stunned by Anika drugging Elle than she was about Camilla not taking Lucious's money. "And I spent so much time staying on her back, following her around like some parole officer…you know the worst thing, Malcolm?" she asked one night as she massaged his back by the fire in the cabin's front room.

"No, what?" Malcolm felt pretty bad about it himself. He was torn between telling Elle the truth and keeping his mouth shut for the sake of his job, but then Elle got to keep her contract and all she had to do was go to a few meetings. _Why rock the boat?_ he'd thought back then. He wasn't so sure now. To plant false memories in the mind of a recovering addict…that was, as his Irish shipmate used to say, beyond the beyonds.

"I think Elle's starting to think that she really _did_ get high that night. It's like, at first she was insistent that she didn't. Then she said she did, but it's like she was just going through the motions to shut me up. But now, the way she talks about it, I think she's starting to believe Anika."

"I just wish I'd caught it earlier," Malcolm surmised. "That's my job, you know?"

"Malcolm. Who the hell sees a person's boss pouring something in a drink out in broad club light and thinks that they're being drugged in order to be framed so that an ex-wife can look bad?" Cookie laid on top of Malcolm's back, her bare breasts pressing against his shoulders, and wrapped her arms around him. "Don't beat yourself up over this, baby," she murmured into his neck, knowing full well that he always would.

By the time Malcolm was walking Camilla through John F. Kennedy International Airport, he was beginning to consider looking elsewhere for work. It had started with an offer of a tissue and ended with the two of them as kindred spirits. Like Cookie, Camilla had grown up with nothing. She was a self-made businesswoman, and a legitimate one at that. Yes, Camilla was broke and selling her clothes, and she was on the verge of losing her business. But Camilla's money woes stemmed from paying for her mother's all-but-useless chemotherapy in Eunice Marks' native Jamaica. As someone whose mother died of ovarian cancer when he was 14, Malcolm could relate to that better than anybody.

How many women were going to be sacrificed at the altar of Lucious Lyon? Camilla, Cookie, Anika, Olivia…even Elle and little Lola. Who else? And what was working for Lucious was going to do to Malcolm's soul?

Camilla seemed to read his thoughts. "Malcolm," Camilla told him at the airport terminal as they said their goodbyes. "Make me a promise, please. From one child of a cancer patient to another, do this one thing for me."

They belonged to a sacred club that Malcolm didn't wish membership upon anyone, not even Lucious. "Yes?"

"Get out of that place before it changes you, Malcolm." Camilla gripped his hands tightly. "Get away from Lucious Lyon before he turns you into one of his pawns. When Lucious dies, I'll be back. But not before then." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're a good man, Malcolm. Stay that way. This world needs more good people like you."

 _Get away from Lucious Lyon._ Watching Camilla walk through baggage claim with her head held high, that suddenly seemed like the best idea in the world. Now, more than ever, Malcolm knew that Camilla was right. Opportunity or not, he had to leave Empire. _  
_

* * *

Lucious jumped when Malcolm threw his door open. "You fired Cookie?" he demanded, not giving a damn who heard it.

It was obvious by Lucious's reaction that Malcolm wasn't supposed to know this information, at least not now. Malcolm was supposed to be at home by now, putting his portfolio together. But Cookie was early, and Malcolm now confronted Lucious with papers in his hand with Malcolm's signature. "Cookie Lyon violated the Empire Code of Conduct," Lucious said evenly. "She got involved with one of the employees here. Security personnel, so they tell me." Lucious gave Malcolm the same look that he gave the night Cookie flirted in front of him with her then-granddaughter in her arms. "She also took a long vacation out of state, which violated her parole. That violates our moral code."

Malcolm wasn't aware that Empire had a code of conduct. Or a moral code. Or morals. "Are you serious, Lucious?"

"I'm dead serious. And I don't have a problem firing two people today, not just one."

A small threat coming from a small man. "Then fire me," Malcolm challenged, closing the door behind him. "I'll be off the premises in 10 minutes. But don't do this to Cookie. She's sacrificed way too much to make you the man you are." Malcolm's voice grew hard. "This is between us, Lucious. So let's settle this man to man. But _only_ the men."

"Ooh," Lucious mocked. "So now I'm Lucious. Five minutes ago, when you were standing here with your hand out, I was Mr. Lyon." Lucious shook his head. "You're worse than Hakeem and his geriatric pussy fantasies. You've known Cookie for what…six weeks?" he scoffed. "And you're already taking her on vacations? You're willing to sacrifice your job and your future to be with an ex-con with three grown boys?"

Malcolm hadn't thought about it like that. "You're pussy-whipped, Malcolm," Lucious mocked. "I don't care what your resume says. Fuck a SEAL and a tactical motherfucker and all that Rambo shit. You're a pussy-whipped pussy, and I can't have no pussies on my security detail. Shit, you even smell like pussy! Pussy and perfume. You think I don't know what Cookie's perfume smells like, when I was all up in it two weeks ago?"

 _Two weeks ago?!_

Lucious smirked at the look on Malcolm's face. "But I'm not mad at you, Malcolm. Shit, I understand." Lucious's voice was softer now. Friendlier. Almost human. "Everybody wants to paint me as the monster who abandoned my loyal wife when she went down for me. But Cookie was my first love. My first girlfriend. Shit, my first, _period_. And I never stepped out on Cookie, not once. I never had another woman before Cookie and I never had another one until she went away." Lucious sat back in his desk chair and leaned back. "You wanna talk man to man, Malcolm? Fine. Ask me. Ask me why I divorced Cookie."

Silence filled the air. "That's what I thought," Lucious sneered when Malcolm didn't ask anything. "Just so you know, Malcolm, I _asked_ Cookie to have my baby so we could get married. When she came to me and told me she was pregnant, I shut the whole block down and threw an engagement party. Didn't know that all my boys were laughing at me behind my back. Vernon, Bunkie…all of them."

"Why was that?" Malcolm finally asked. It was the first question he could finally get his mind to form.

"Because Cookie had been givin' it up to every nigga on the block, that's why. Let me guess," Lucious added when Malcolm was unable to hide his shock. "She told you some bullshit story about how I was her only man, right? Meanwhile, I'm raising some other nigga's kid who has my last name, and all because I let some hoodrat trick me into marrying her when I was younger than Hakeem."

It took Malcolm a couple of minutes before he could even comprehend what Lucious was saying. "Andre isn't your son?" he repeated.

"Hell, naw, Andre ain't my son! Does he look like my son? Does he _act_ like my son?" Lucious's eyes burned with anger, as if he was furious that his head of his security detail hadn't noticed such an obvious thing. "My daddy was a blues singer. My grandmama toured with the Count Basie Band. That's what Lyons do. That nigga can't even whistle, Malcolm. And you know what else? We're hard, and that includes the women. Shit, even Jamal is hard in his faggoty little way. But Andre? Andre is soft," Lucious spat. "He's not bipolar - he's weak. Hell, naw, that ain't my son."

Malcolm looked Lucious dead in the eye. Lucious looked back, unblinking. Either Lucious was a complete psychopath or he was telling the truth. "I know it's a lot to take, Malcolm, but I'm looking out for you. Cookie's like a drug – shit, you know that. I had to cut Cookie off completely just to function. If I'd been trying to make that work while she was in prison, I never would have been able to make Empire what it is today. And I'd never be able to offer you the opportunity that I'm offering you."

"You're still offering me the chance to start my business here?" Malcolm asked. "Why?"

"I'm keeping you because I understand what you're going through. I know what it's like to have to get Cookie out of your system. Somebody needed to pull your coattails, Malcolm, before you let that woman ruin your life. You, Malcolm, are the future. Cookie is damaged goods."

The last words were said so quietly, so convincingly Malcolm jumped when the telephone rang. "Hold that thought," Lucious said. "Let me get these people off my line."

The lights in the room were suddenly so bright that Malcolm felt dizzy enough to sit down. While Lucious finished up on the phone, a magazine on his desk caught Malcolm's eye. He picked it up and looked at it. The story, along with the cover, featured Lucious sitting down with his three sons (two?) standing around him. It went on and on about Empire being a family company, and how he had been able to bury the hatchet with his ex-wife in order to keep Empire in the family.

It was Malcolm's job to study things. He'd studied all the Lyon boys in depth. He'd studied Lucious in depth. He'd studied Cookie in _great_ depth. Now, by studying this magazine cover, Malcolm knew the truth.

"Sorry about that." Lucious cut into Malcolm's thoughts as he hung up his office phone. "Anyway, like I said, I'm sorry to put this all on you like this. Don't get me wrong, Cookie is a great girl. And I won't lie to you, Malcolm. I still love Cookie," Lucious admitted. "I love her so much that it hurts. But sometimes you have to sacrifice your queen…"

"…in order to win the game," Malcolm finished dully.

"And that's what you have to do, Malcolm, if you want to get ahead in this game. She's just not worth blowing an opportunity like this."

 _An opportunity like this._ His own security company. He could give back to the community. He could buy a headstone for his mother. He could get some real, quality medical care for his father's alcoholism – not that bullshit group therapy at Veteran Affairs. There were other women in the world. Women who could travel without worrying about whether it would get back to their parole officers. Women who didn't have hot flashes or c-section scars. Women who could give him a family. "I understand, Mr. Lyon," Malcolm said, finally reaching a decision about the future. "You've given me a lot to think about, sir. Thank you."

"Glad you understand. And I'm glad you're sticking around." Lucious held out his hand for Malcolm to shake.

Malcolm shook Lucious's hand, then gripped it, trapping him. "I understand that you're a terrible liar," he clarified.

Andre looked exactly like Lucious's son, right down to the square shape of their fingernails. They walked alike. Both of their right pinky fingers stuck out while they typed, but not the left, and they both had birthmarks on their left earlobes. And the idea that Cookie had been pregnant with another man's child – the same woman who trembled in her sleep the first night they'd made love and didn't even let Malcolm see her completely naked until their second night –was the dumbest thing Malcolm had ever heard. _Damaged goods?_ How could a man who claimed to love a woman talk about the mother of his children that way? How could Lucious say something like that about a woman as beautiful as Cookie?

With that, Malcolm drove his fist so hard into Lucious's solar plexus that he made a mental note to start weight lifting again when Lucious didn't vomit. He took a little satisfaction at watching him crumple up like a piece of paper and fall to the floor, curling up in a fetal position. Malcolm stood over Lucious, fighting the urge to pull his cock out and piss all over the bastard's face. Instead, he flung his security badge to the floor, striking Lucious in the face. "I quit."

Lucious sat up, knowing that his plan had failed. Malcolm hadn't fallen for his bullshit, and he wasn't going to betray Cookie. "So you're going to walk away from the opportunity to build your own business from the ground up over some ran-through pussy that you just met?" Lucious pulled himself to a kneeling position, still unable to rise. "Malcolm, you'll lose money chasing after pussy. But you'll never lose pussy chasing after money. Remember that."

Malcolm looked at the ailing man struggling to pick himself off the floor. "If I was dying of some non-curable disease and only had a few years to live, I know what I'd want by my side in the end. And it's not a bag of money."

"It's not Cookie, either. You'll never have her. Go ahead. Go up to her office like a little bitch and tell her you quit." Lucious stood up. "Cookie ain't goin' nowhere, with you, boy. That's _my_ woman. She was my woman when she was on top of me two weeks ago, and she'll be my woman when she's on top of me two weeks from now. You can't win against me, Malcolm." Lucious smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "We have history. We're going to be together forever. She'll never choose you."

More trademark Lucious Lyon bullshit. It had almost worked on Malcolm, but it would never would again. "You're forgetting something, Lucious," Malcolm said mildly. "Cookie already chose me. She chose me when she went with me to the Berkshires and left you here."

The smile on Lucious's face faded. Malcolm took a mental picture, then walked out of Lucious's office forever.

* * *

 _Get out of that place before it changes you, Malcolm,_ Camilla had warned him _. Get away from Lucious Lyon before he turns you into one of his pawns._ How close Malcolm had come so close to being Lucious's pawn! Lucious had dangled Malcolm's dreams in front of his face like a juicy plum. All Malcolm had to do was reach out and take it. But Cookie had suffered too much and was too good of a woman for Malcolm to treat her that way. _I serve with honor on and off the battlefield._

The papers with the fake signature were still in Malcolm's hands. As he ripped them to shreds, it occurred to Malcolm that he had just quit his job.

Scratch that - he just quit his job in a city that he just moved to.

Scratch that - he just quit his job for a woman he barely knew.

To hell with his honor. Honor didn't pay the bills in New York City. And it wasn't like Cookie Lyon was his girl. Hell, at this rate, she might be Lucious's woman for life, whether she had a say in the matter or not.

No. That would never be. Not as long as Malcolm drew breath. Maybe Cookie would be his lady and maybe she wouldn't. Maybe she would leave Empire with him and maybe she wouldn't. But as long as Malcolm cared Cookie, she would always have a choice in her life. Lucious didn't own Cookie, even if he thought he did.

Malcolm thought back to Camilla, now rebuilding her life in the U.K. He was headed back to Lucious's house when he heard Camilla calling his name. Perhaps it was their sudden bond, but even though he couldn't hear over the airport loudspeaker, Malcolm understood Camilla perfectly.

" _Take Cookie when you go."_

Malcolm wasn't completely unemployed. _"There will always be a space for you here, Malcolm. 10 hours or 10 days or 10 years from now, if you walk through my door, we will make a space for you. Just get to D.C."_ It sounded so overblown and dramatic, but maybe…

As Malcolm pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number he'd thought about calling so many times, he wondered if Cookie would like living in the nation's capital. The woman on the other end answered on the first ring. "Mal! Is that you?" she asked as Malcolm pressed the 13th button on the elevator. "Are you calling about the job? Are you coming to D.C.?"

"You win, Liv," Malcolm conceded to his cousin. "I'm coming. Now, tell me…what's a Gladiator?"

TBC


	2. Set Me Free, Why Don'tcha Baby?

It was Malcolm's job to study things, but everybody had a blind spot. Listening to Malcolm explain to Cookie that he had quit his job and wanted her to come with him to Washington, D.C. made Cookie so light-headed that she nearly fainted. Not only did Lucious know that they'd slept together, but he knew that Malcolm was willing to sacrifice everything he'd worked for at Empire for her. He was walking away from Lucious Lyon, and that was something Cookie knew that Malcolm would never get away with. Somehow, some way, Lucious was going to get him back. "Malcolm…"

"Look," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I wanna take care of you. Alright?" This dream of taking away an ex-felon and living in their nation's capital was so far-fetched that it bordered on being a fairy tale, but Malcolm's eyes were so full of hope that Cookie could've cried. He really thought that this could happen. "Come with me," he pleaded, and his eyes were so full of hope that Cookie could've cried for him.

Cookie stepped forward to touch Malcolm's gorgeous features – his long lashes, his high cheekbones, his dark brown skin. "Malcolm…you are a beautiful man. But I can't." She looked around the office, at the records she had produced. "I-I can't leave all of this," she said before Malcolm could protest. "I worked too hard. I _can't_."

Deep down, Cookie was tired of the business. She was tired of being mistreated, tired of waiting on Lucious to die, tired of fighting for everything and everyone for what was hers. Malcolm would never know how badly Cookie wanted to say yes, to stay up in the mountains with Malcolm and make love by candlelight forever. But there was unfinished business to attend to, and Cookie couldn't give her heart to Malcolm or anybody else until it was settled.

The office door opened, and Spencer was standing there. "I'm sorry, sir," he said to Malcolm, and they could both see how much he hated to do this. Spencer knew how Malcolm felt about Cookie, and he'd been genuinely happy that Cookie had gone away with him. He longed to have the balls Malcolm did, but Spencer also had five kids to feed. "But, uh-"

"Yeah, I know. Our time is up." Cookie smiled sadly. "That's a phrase that I've heard many times before."

Cookie knew she was being selfish, but she had to help herself to one more kiss, then another. Being with Malcolm allowed Cookie to feel beautiful and respectable and protected, and she wanted to feel that way for just a little longer. "Thank you," Cookie whispered, and she meant it with all her heart.

As Cookie walked away from Malcolm to finish her packing – she couldn't bear to see him walk out the door – she fought to keep from crying. That cabin weekend had taught Cookie that was possible for her to love again one day. Maybe it was even possible with Malcolm. Maybe once Lucious died, she could go back to him. God, why did Lucious have to be so _unfair_?

"Lucious said you would never leave him."

The words hit Cookie like a ton of bricks. When she turned to look at Malcolm, she was taken aback by the resignation on his face. "What?"

"Lucious said that no matter what, you would never leave him." Malcolm shook his head, unable to fathom Cookie's loyalty to a man who had treated her so badly. "My cousin Olivia said once that some women don't know how to be treated well. I guess you're one of them." Once again, Malcolm's insecurities about her ex-husband were starting to show.

Cookie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You think this is about _Lucious_? Not about the 17 years I lost for this company? Or the fact that I helped create this bitch? Or about living near my sons – who, just in case you forgot, I haven't seen in nearly two decades. How about the fact that I'm an ex-felon, Malcolm? I'm not even supposed to leave the state! Do you have any idea what could happen if our trip got back to my probation officer?"

Malcolm was beginning to see how petulant he sounded, and Cookie hadn't even started yet. "I know your type, Malcolm," Cookie added as Spencer quickly left the room. "You're one of those fuckboys who thinks that he's doing me a favor because you lowered yourself to be with an ex-con, huh? You think you're such a good person because you want to take care of a hoodrat with three kids? You slummin'?"

"Fine, Cookie. I'm sorry." Malcolm's voice was dripping with sarcasm as he spoke. "I'm sorry for trying to do something special for you. Next time, I'll take you to a truck stop hotel or a night club bathroom. Would you like that better, since you don't like being taken care of?"

"Oh, my God…are you even hearing me, Malcolm? _I don't need you to take care of me!_ I can take care of myself! You think you've done so much for me because you took me up to _your friend's_ cabin?"

Malcolm closed his eyes, and Cookie cursed herself for sounding so callous. She didn't care how much money Malcolm had or didn't have, but she sounded like a gold digger, measuring men by the size of their wallets. "So _that's_ what this is about, Malcolm finally responded. "You're too money hungry to be a veteran's wife. That's why you put up with all of Lucious's shit – for the money."

"Your _wife_?" Was Malcolm as crazy as Lucious was? Was he falling as hard for her as fast as Lucious had over 30 years ago? Was she on the verge of becoming yet another man's possession? "Whoever said anything about being your _wife_? You don't even know me that well! And I don't know you! We've only been together for what, a week? Are you crazy?!"

"Maybe I am." Malcolm looked embarrassed, but he wouldn't deny how he felt, just like he hadn't denied the way he felt about Cookie the day he came into her office and told her that he couldn't stop thinking about her. "I've asked myself over and over why I'm falling for you so hard. I don't know, Cookie. I just am, okay? Don't twist how I feel about you so you can justify staying here."

"I don't need to justify anything to you, Malcolm! I mean, how can you…you don't even..." A thought came to Cookie. "Malcolm, what's my name?"

"Your name?" Malcolm was confused by the question.

"Yes, my _name!_ My mama didn't name me Cookie, stupid!"

When Malcolm didn't answer, Cookie found a way out. "You're standing here telling me that I'm money hungry and don't want to be a sailor's wife and you want to take care of me. How do you know what I want and what I don't want when you don't even know me? You don't even know my name, Malcolm," Cookie called over her shoulder. She couldn't bear to look at his beautiful face anymore. "Remember that."

Cookie had just picked up a picture frame to pack when Malcolm spoke. "Loretha."

Malcolm's voice was so soft and tender that Cookie shivered inside. How did Malcolm make such an ugly name sound so sensual? "How did you…"

Malcolm crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Cookie's waist. "I looked your name up in your personnel records the day I met you. I had to know more about you, Loretha…Diane…Holloway." Malcolm kissed the tip of Cookie's nose with each name. "Born at St. Joseph's Hospital in north Philadelphia. Seven pounds, three ounces."

"Malcolm…" Cookie said weakly, knowing she should let Malcolm go, but not wanting to.

"Your favorite candy is Lemon Heads," Malcolm continued. "You love coconut oil, but you're allergic to coconuts. You don't like red roses, but you love white ones. Chocolate chip cookies make you sick. Your favorite color is green, not purple. And you _hate_ being called Cookie Monster."

When Malcolm reached out to wipe her tears away, Cookie took his hand and kissed his palm. Malcolm smiled at such a gentle gesture. "You have a Master of Legal Studies degree that you've never told anybody about. You can't sleep unless the radio or the TV is on," he continued, stroking Cookie's hair in that intimate way that made her feel so safe and loved. "You cry every time Penny gets her arm burned on _Good Times_. And before you met Lucious," he added with a chuckle, "you wanted to marry Freddie Jackson."

"Damn, Malcolm. I didn't even know all that."

Standing at the door, immensely enjoying Malcolm's pathetic display of affection, was Lucious Lyon. Cookie quickly wiped her eyes and pulled away from Malcolm, but she didn't pull her hand put of his, nor did Malcolm pull his hand out of hers. "By the way, Cookie," Lucious added casually, "I know all about your master's degree. You really think the government was paying for a felon to go to college?"

"It was the least you could do," Malcolm observed flatly, furious that Lucious had listened in on such a private conversation.

Lucious let out a mocking laugh. "Ah, Malcolm. Came up here and simped yourself out like a bitch, huh? Now you ain't got no job _and_ you ain't got no girl. But that's Cookie for you," he added, throwing a sardonic smile in Cookie's direction. "She can make a man do things he normally wouldn't do. I tried to warn you," he added helpfully.

Lucious had been right. Cookie was staying with Empire and with Lucious. Malcolm had lost to this golden-eyed demon, but he'd be damned if he let it show. "I have a job," Malcolm said evenly, trying to control his anger. He'd already lost his temper earlier today.

"Oh, yeah. Your little security job at some bullshit communications firm up in D.C. They gonna let you have a flashlight with your clip-on tie?" Lucious sneered.

"Lucious!" _Why is Lucious acting like this?_ Cookie wondered. And how did Lucious know about Malcolm's job? She soon found out. "You know," Malcolm said, "I heard that you called my job about me, but it seems like they don't let drug dealing scumbags work for Pope and Associates."

"Malcolm!" Now Malcolm was stepping on Cookie's toes.

Malcolm shrugged, as if nothing mattered anymore. "What's he going to do? Fire me?" Malcolm smiled bitterly. "I've already lost you, Cookie. He can't take anything else from me."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at what I can do to you, Malcolm," Lucious said coolly. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be lucky if you can work at McDonald's."

When Malcolm took a step forward, Cookie knew she had to put a stop to it. The last thing Cookie needed in her life was two men fighting over her, especially not these two. Malcolm was proud – navy proud – but Lucious was a stone cold killer. "Malcolm…you should probably go now." She grabbed her box, not caring about anything else in the office. "I'll come with you…"

"No, that's okay. You finish packing." Malcolm kissed Cookie on the cheek. Disappointment was written all over his face. "Goodbye, Cookie."

Malcolm didn't say _see you later_ or _I'll call you_ or _let's keep in touch._ Watching Cookie protecting Lucious at his expense, Malcolm wasn't sure if he ever wanted to see or hear from Cookie again. He shoved Lucious so hard as he stormed out the door that Lucious fell to the floor. "'Ey, Malcolm! You sure you don't wanna stay here at Empire?" We got a A &R slot open!" Lucious relished the way Malcolm stalked up the hallway and down the stairs, rather than waiting on the escalator.

Lucious was still smiling when he turned to his ex-wife. "You still here, Cook? I thought I told my men to take out the trash."

"What did you say to him, Lucious? _What did you tell him!?_ " Malcolm had never spoken to her so harshly before, nor had he ever come across as so unhinged. Move to D.C. with him? Be a sailor's wife? Other than the Berkshires, they'd never even gone on a date before.

"I just told him the truth, baby," Lucious said, smiling sweetly. "I told him that we had history and that you were never going to leave with him."

Now everything fell into place. Lucious had sparked something territorial in Malcolm, even though she had a million non-Lucious reasons to stay. Lucious had intentionally come between the two of them, and for what? Lucious had moved on years ago, leaving Cookie to twist in the wind. "Don't you 'baby' me, you sick motherfucker! _You don't own me!"_

"But you _are_ my baby, Cookie Monster." Lucious said in such a syrupy sweet voice that Cookie's blood ran cold. "We're going to be together forever. Don't you know that?"

"Go to hell, Lucious." Cookie turned her back to him and began to pack again. After all, she didn't belong here anymore. She sure as hell didn't belong to Lucious, no matter what he said. And the first thing she planned to do when she got home was to call Malcolm and try to work things out. D.C. wasn't that far from New York, after all.

"Cookie," Lucious said quietly, closing the office door behind him. When Cookie ignored Lucious, he crossed the room and reached around her waist to stop her hands from moving. The smell of Malcolm's aftershave made Lucious gag. Cookie's scent all over Malcolm was insulting to Lucious, but Malcolm's scent all over Cookie was a different story entirely. "Cookie," Lucious repeated as Cookie gathered up the last of her things and prepared to leave, "just tell me one thing before you go."

Cookie met Lucious's steely gaze. "What is it, Lucious? I need to get out of here. Some asshole fired me today."

Lucious didn't want her to go. Not really. He was just so _mad_ at her – first for not accepting his marriage proposal, and second for going away with some lame-ass security guard. Everything Cookie and Lucious had worked for was in this building. Lucious had dreamed of the day he and Cookie could be together again, and yet she waltzed into his building with the smell of another man all over her body. "Cookie, did you _really_ think I was going to let you leave me for Malcolm?"

"What?" Cookie's heart had been beating fast. Now it began to race. "What do you mean, _let me leave_?"

"Your little boyfriend's phone has a GPS too, you know. I could've found you in half an hour once I knew that he was with you." Lucious sat down in Cookie's old office chair and crossed his leg while Cookie fought to keep breathing. "I thought about it, you know," he said pleasantly. "About finding the two on the road and making you pull over. Putting a bullet in Malcolm's head and making you watch." Cookie began to tremble as Lucious went on with his bloody fantasy as casually as if he was telling Cookie the weather. "It would have been your fault, Cookie. And it's still not too late."

"You _monster!_ " Cookie hurled her box at Lucious, then jumped on top of him, beating his body with fists and clawing at his face with her nails. "Leave him alone! _Leave him alone!"_ she screamed as the chair tipped over and the both toppled to the ground. Malcolm, her beautiful, beautiful Malcolm dead, was more than what Cookie could stand. It was why she left him so easily. _Come with me. I wanna take care of you._ Malcolm would have been dead before he reached the Potomac, all because of her.

Lucious grabbed Cookie and flipped her over, straddling her high on her hips so that she couldn't move. Despite his ALS, Lucious was still surprisingly strong and fast. "Why did you go off with him, Cookie?" Lucious hissed in her ear. "Why did you have to go in the woods to fuck a goddamned Boy Scout? I'm supposed to be your only man!"

 _"Get off me, motherfucker!"_ Startled, Lucious rolled up, and he found himself at the bottom of Cookie's mount. She wanted so badly to choke him, to watch the life drain out of his eyes. "You _were_ my only man, Lucious! And you couldn't been – I wanted you to be!" Cookie didn't want to cry in front of Lucious, but the pain of losing Malcolm and being threatened by Lucious all in the same day was too much for her heart to take. Cookie's tears splashed onto Lucious face. "I even gave you another chance and you fucked that up, too! _'I'm not leaving you for Anika.'_ Remember that?" she yelled, getting to her feet. " _You don't own me,_ Lucious."

"Yes, I do, Cookie," Lucious also rose from the floor, brushing off his slacks. "I own your heart just like you own mine. Okay, so you got your groove back. I admit that pisses me off a little. But hell, maybe I deserved that-"

 _"Maybe!?"_

"-but I forgive you, Cookie. I forgive you." Putting his arm around Cookie's waist, Lucious stroked Cookie's hair - not in that tender, loving way that Malcolm did earlier, but as if he was claiming every hair on Cookie's head. There was no love there, only possession. "I'm going to let this slide because you didn't know any better," he said benevolently. "Next time, I won't be so merciful."

Cookie knew she should've let Lucious leave the room in peace, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to hurt Lucious as badly as he was hurting her. "You know what I told Malcolm after the first time we made love, Lucious?" she asked, standing on shaky legs, but speaking with a firm voice.

Lucious turned around. "What?" he asked, his voice making it clear that Cookie was treading on thin ice.

"I told Malcolm that I couldn't wait for you to die so we could have a memorial concert and jack up the ticket price. And as soon as you do, Lucious, I'm going back to my Boy Scout. That's right," Cookie added as Lucious's face turned pale. "You think I'm here because I chose you? Naw, Boo-Boo. I chose _Malcolm_ , not you. The _only_ reason why I'm still here is because I'm going to fight for what's mine. And as soon as you die, I'm gonna fuck my little boyfriend right on top of your grave."

"You watch your mouth," Lucious threatened.

"Kiss my ass, Lucious." Cookie was already tired of this conversation. "You're not going to touch Malcolm and we both know it."

"Oh?" Lucious's perverse stare frightened Cookie, but she didn't break his gaze. "Why not?"

Cookie matched Lucious's mocking smile. "Because you know I'll never forgive you. Whatever love I ever had for you will be dead forever if you even lay a finger on that man."

"Who cares?" Lucious asked coolly. "He'll still be dead when I'm gone."

The truth of that statement wiped the smirk off Cookie's face. Lucious gave Cookie a smile so sweet that one would never guess the monster that lay beneath it. "Let's not fight, Cook. Why don't you come over tonight so we can have dinner and talk?" Lucious asked kindly, "Let's see if we can find some kind of common ground. Oh, but take a shower first." Lucious leaned forward and kissed Cookie on the cheek. " _If you ever in your life come to me smelling like him,"_ he whispered in her ear, and his voice carried a clear threat, _"you know what I'm gonna do._ Right? _"_ He kissed Cookie lovingly on the cheek. "Right?" he demanded, expecting an answer.

Cookie _did_ know what would happen. They both did. Lucious might not have been a man of his word, but there was no question that this was a promise that Lucious would keep. Cookie looked into Lucious's eyes, and what she saw back put terror into her heart. For the first time in her life, Cookie was afraid of Lucious Lyon. "Don't hurt him, Lucious," "Cookie pleaded, all of her bravado gone. "He's gone now. Leave Malcolm alone, Lucious _..._ please?" _For God's sake, have mercy on him._

"That's up to you, Cookie. It's all up to you." And Lucious was gone, closing the door behind him.

Alone, Cookie slumped back to the floor and cried _._ Malcolm had been right, and so was Lucious, and Cookie hated them both for it. Malcolm and Lucious both knew that Lucious could fuck all the Boo Boo Kittys in the world, and fire her from the company that she helped create, and even threaten to kill every lover Cookie had. It didn't matter. Cookie had sacrificed her youth and her freedom for Lucious, so what was giving up one more thing?

Malcolm would never understand or appreciate it, but this was best for both of them. Lucious and Cookie had a love that was so parasitic that the only thing that could free Cookie from Lucious was death. And as quiet as it was kept, Cookie didn't really want to be free. She didn't deserve to be.

END

* * *

When I wrote this story a long time ago (it was in five parts then), I got some backlash from people (mainly Luckie fans) who felt like I wasn't properly writing a fine gentleman like Lucious, who would never treat Cookie this way. Personally, I don't see anything that suggests that Lucious doesn't treat Cookie this way as we speak. Even before that ridiculous "Dwight Walker" garbage, it really bothered me when people (especially young people) would go on and on about how Lucious and Cookie are true love. The truth is that Lucious has always been emotionally abusive to Cookie.

Recall back in episode 102 when Cookie said, "What have I ever done to you for you to treat me like this?" That's a damn good question. Think about all the things Lucious has done to Cookie since she got out of prison: he made her life hell from the day she got out. He screwed her and dumped her again, telling her flat out that he wasn't leaving Anika for her. (He also told Anika this in the episode where Anika nearly lost her baby in ep. 214.) Lucious wanted to marry Cookie again (ep. 110), but he was planning a pre-nup with Vernon. And when Cookie found a good guy who wanted to be with her in spite of her past, Lucious fired Cookie because of it, but not Malcolm. (ep. 111 - more on that in a minute.)

Lucious also did all he could to run Lyon Dynasty into the ground - poached artists, bugged the studio, bought out air time so Dynasty's music couldn't be played, and so on. In the season one finale, he calls Cookie a hoodrat, and in season two, he refers to Cookie as "my baby mama." Now it turns out that he didn't even tell her the truth about his name, let alone his past. For over 30 years, he has lied to Cookie and his family about the death of his mother, his name, and (as we learned in the S2 finale) his father being killed by the nation of Islam. (IThere's nothing that suggested that his father's killer was anything but a typical street thug.) Oh, and let's not forget that Lucious threatened to kill Anika after her child is born - which Cookie is fully aware of - had a reporter killed for the sin of...you know, REPORTING...and asked Cookie to stick around while he married her arch-enemy. But hey! True love, right? Long like Cookie and Lu...Dwi...whoever the fuck he is.

Even Lucious not firing Malcolm was abusive. It's easy to forget, but Cookie and Malcolm were in the Berkshires for four days and three nights. We also see in 111 that Cookie was planning to introduce Malcolm to Carol, so there are no signs that this would've been a one-night stand. While Lucious might have kept Malcolm due to that "friends close/enemies closer" angle, there was a bonus motive: Malcolm "choosing" Lucious over Cookie by keeping his job would've been the ultimate "bitch you ain't shit" triumph over Cookie. But not only did Malcolm leave Empire because of what Lucious did to Cookie, he straight up quit. And since they both left at once, any idiot at Empire would've been able to figure out why. (If they didn't, Porsha's loud ass would've told them.)

Originally, I didn't buy the idea that Malcolm could've done all that and Lucious would've left him alone. (I still question whether homeboy turned up dead later on.) But the truth is that abusers tend to know who to fuck with and who not to. Lucious was always throwing shade at Laz's bitch ass, but when Malcolm took Cookie out of Lucious's arms and walked her right out of Lucious's house in front of Lucious's family (110), Lucious didn't make a sound. Why? Because Lucious knew that he couldn't fuck with Malcolm like he could fuck with Laz.

Still, I think the fans were seriously cheated out of a Lucious/Malcolm showdown. If anything, we should've seen when Lucious didn't fire Malcolm. We know that Lucious knew that Cookie slept with together, so how did that conversation even go down? "I know you smashed the homie, but 'ey, mayne, don't even worry about that." Yeah, hardly. By the way, I was shocked to read and hear so many male viewers being totally on Lucious's side when it came to firing Cookie. I was reading a radio poll, and the vote was 88% for Lucious! The word "betrayed" kept coming up, as in "Cookie betrayed Lucious." Fam, were we watching the same show!?

Anyway, feel free to sound off in the comments. I'm curious to know how people see Cookie and Lucious's relationship, or even have opposite points of view. I don't think I'll ever be convinced that their love is anything but sick as hell, but I do love writing pre-prison Lucious and Cookie. As far as I'm concerned, that Dwight Walker bullshit does not exist. Oh, and if you've never heard "You Keep Me Hanging On" by the Supremes, read the lyrics and tell me if you don't think of Lucious and Cookie. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that the show was actually inspired by that song.


End file.
